Thirty-one days since two alleged bombers, two obscure and meaningless people, changed the way the world looks at the city.

Since Patriots Day, we’ve heard many of the stories of sadness, heroism and struggle. Three people died, countless were severely injured and thousands of lives were changed forever.

We’ve also been hearing about the controversy over the burial of one bombing suspect, a new lawyer for another and the roads to recovery many of the victims are traveling.

We celebrated Mother’s Day earlier this week, and for two Western Massachusetts moms, marathon day was one to remember. Joanna Guindon, of West Springfield, and Laura Morris, of Southwick, ran as members of Griffin’s Friends.

Founded in 1994, Griffin’s Friends honors the memory of Griffin Kelleher, who passed away at 14 months from cancer. This year, Joanna and Laura decided to run for their own children – Joanna’s 8-year-old, Jack, who’s in remission; and Laura’s 4-year-old daughter, Morgan, who continues to battle leukemia.

“My son was 6 in 2007 when he was diagnosed,” Joanna said. “Griffin’s Friends contacted us and asked if Jack would be a team captain, and a team of runners would run in his honor. So in 2010, when we were finished with Jack’s treatments, I thought to myself a wonderful way to celebrate and honor all the great things Griffin’s Friends has done for us was to run in the marathon myself. I thought about crossing the finish line, and what a wonderful way that would be to put all the tough times behind us.”

“Morgan was first diagnosed in August of 2011,” Laura said. “After that, I became a different person. I wanted to give back so much more than I did before. I started running for the first time in the Holyoke St. Patrick’s race with Griffin’s Friends. They dedicated so much time to bringing kids joy. It was so nice. And after the St. Patrick’s race, I just decided to keep running and give the marathon a try.”

So here they were, Joanna and Laura, two moms with two young children whose lives were changed by cancer. Training for the Boston Marathon began in earnest in December. A six-mile training run to start, then longer runs to follow, many in bitter winter temperatures.

But the concept of running with a team of runners, many doing it with the same motivation they had, allowed these two strangers to take part in a common cause. They were running for something bigger than them, not knowing just how big April 13 would turn out to be.

“I tried to run in the marathon in 2010, but all the training I did led to a stress fracture in my leg,” Joanna said. “So then in June of 2012, I got off my crutches and slowly got back to training. The day of the marathon, we boarded the bus in Chicopee at 5:15 a.m. and we were off. Everybody had trained so hard. There were tears and laughter, and we all knew there was no turning back. Just before the race, I kept thinking, ‘Oh my God, we are actually running in the Boston (bleeping) Marathon!’”

“Honestly, my first marathon experience was amazing,” Laura said. “I had no idea that I could run the 26-mile course. All I really wanted to do was make it to Mile 24 and see all the folks from Griffin’s Friends. Mile 24 would be my marathon. Around Mile 20, I started to have problems with my feet, but I made it to Mile 24 and it was so wonderful. It was everything I imagined it would be. Mile 24 was my moment of joy.”

“My whole family was at Mile 24, and my plan was to get Jack and run the final two miles with him,” Joanna said. "He had a T-shirt that said, ‘I Beat Cancer.’ We were all so excited that we were going to cross the finish line together. That spirit is what brought me through the final months of training.”

But there wouldn’t be that chance to finish the marathon for Joanna, Laura or Jack. When Joanna and Laura got to Mile 24, the folks from Griffin’s Friends told them something had happened at the finish line. Joanna left Jack with his dad, and alongside Laura, continued to run toward downtown Boston. It wasn’t until they got to the 25.5-mile mark that they were told the marathon was over.

“When I found out what had happened, I was angry," Joanna said. “How can people who hate America so much come here, and stay here, and use our resources, and then want to kill us? To hurt innocent people, a young boy like my son? But I plan on doing it again next spring, but this time I’m going to finish what I started. I know what these kids go through in the hospital every day, and I’m going to finish the race next year.”

“I’m OK with what I did. I had such a wonderful experience up to Mile 24,” Laura said. “And yes, I’ll be back next year for sure. It took awhile for me to want to return for next year. But I’m ready now. I want to run for Griffin’s Friends.”

Joanna Guindon and Laura Morris are just two of the thousands of parents and family members who ran in the Boston Marathon in honor of their loved ones. Nothing could dampen their indomitable spirits ... not 26.2 miles, and certainly not a cowardly act of terrorism.